Evidently
by dJhonnie
Summary: Kate Beckett lives her life making decisions based on evidence. Anyone who knows Kate knows that. But she's overlooking one critical piece, and her friends know just how to force her to see it.
1. Chapter 1

**Evidently**

* * *

**_A/N:_**_This is something I've messed with for a while. I hope you like it. Updating will be a little off for a while, but give it a chance. And let me know your favorite Caskett moments up through season 3 as evidence for the up coming trial._

* * *

**_Summary: _**_Kate Beckett lives her life making decisions based on evidence. Anyone who knows Kate knows that. But she's overlooking one critical piece, and her friends know just how to force her to see it._

Another step closer. Another sentence fragment. She adds to it and mirrors his advance. Blue and green connect, inseparable. Booth deepen, darken, their focus excludes all else. Even the flash and click of the camera

Dr. Lanie Parish knows Kate Beckett. Not just the hardnosed detective, but the breathing, feeling woman behind the walls. So when her cell phone finally loads the photo from Esposito , Lanie smiles, but her subconscious nags that what she sees on her display will never go further than that picture. At least not anytime soon.

But, _damn_ if there isn't a fine image in her mind (not to mention plans for her winnings from the precinct's pool.) It's already there, what they need. It's written plainly in the easy proximity of their bodies and highlighted by the passion and adoration in their locked gazes.

Everyone knows – and knows well – that Richard Castle loves Kate Beckett, but Lanie knows her girl, so Lanie knows that Kate Beckett loves Richard Castle right back.

If only Kate knew Kate Beckett.

* * *

Javier Esposito likes to think he knows Kate Beckett. Truthfully, he is aware that he only really knows _Detective _Beckett.

But he does know Lanie Parish, so he's not surprised when Beckett emerges from her jaunt to the morgue with a thin mask of stoicism painted on her face to hide the wounds and contemplation. He knows that Lanie would've chatted with (interrogated) Beckett about that last round of eye-sex and mind-reading in front of the murder board. And if the text his phone is announcing is any indication, he knows Lanie is frustrated with Beckett's most recent denial.

Sometimes, though, he wonders if he really does know Lanie because this time, she's announced, oh so clearly, to his phone screen that she has a plan.

* * *

"She lied to me, Javi! She stood right there and lied to my face." Lanie was fuming hotter than she had in a long while, and her not-so-secret boyfriend was taking the brunt of it.

"How is that any different than any other time?" Meeting the good doctor's glare full force, the detective shrunk back from his own natural boldness.

Lanie took a breath and reminded herself once again of all the reasons she loved Beckett and… well, she definitely liked Esposito. But the whole _love _thing was an issue for another time. Not that she'd shy away from it like _some _people – especially guarded brunette detectives – but she just- _Wait just a minute there girl! We're talking about Kate here… _"She's never lied to me before. Girl is a damned _pro_ at avoiding questions, but she's never looked me in my eyes and told a lie."

"'re you sure she's lying, chica?"

"You doubtin' my word, detective? Not just cops are trained to see lies."

Esposito, wisely, chose to remain silent.

"Bottom line is that woman has feelings for Writer-boy."

"Still, how is that any different than before?"

Lanie grinned a smug little grin that would've irritated the woman in question to no end, "She's starting to figure it out for herself."

Javier shot a sideways look at the ME. "You know she'll never admit to it, right. You can interrogate her all you want, but she's stubborn as hell."

"But she does follow the evidence."

Esposito felt a feint stab of fear at the glimmer in his woman's eyes. "Evidence? She still hasn't shot him. This isn't a murder."

"No, then we'd be hiding evidence… Nuh-uh. This is better." She saw the doubt and elaborated, "Kate trusts the system. If evidence says a man is guilty, then he's guilty. What she doesn't trust is her heart."

"So?"

"We just have to _put her through the system_."

"What should we charge her with, 'frustrating the hell out of her friends'?"

"Or public indecency for all that eye-sex…" Javier rolled his eyes in a Beckett-esque move. "Let me make a few calls."

* * *

Martha had agreed to provide the set (she was _thrilled to be putting on a show_, and those Temptation Lane folks owed her a favor anyway; _this would be a smashing opportunity to cash in._) Judge Markaway would be honored to preside over this case (_Maybe it'll get Rick to focus on poker rather than mooning over the detective or sulking because he messed up._) Doc Holloway would happily evaluate the not-a-couple (he had notes already started.) Witnesses were lined up and giddy with anticipation. The only thing needed was ultimate approval.

"Doctor Parish, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

Lanie smiled as she stepped into Roy Montgomery's office. Beckett and Castle were off to lunch, and the boys had given her the all clear to put the final piece in place.

"I need to ask a favor, Sir." At Roy's raised eyebrows, she elaborated, "For Kate."

"Is there a reason why Detective Beckett can't ask me herself?"

Lanie scoffed, "You know Beckett. She'd never ask for anything she needs." Montgomery looked at her pointedly, and Lanie got on with it, "She may or may not know that I'm asking for her…"

The man hummed. "And what would this favor be, Doctor?"

"She's gonna need the next week off."

"Oh? Is she injured? Family issue?"

"Personal issue."

"Is she sick?"

"No, but the rest of us sure are," the doctor murmured, causing Montgomery to finally break.

A grin spread across his mustached face as he assured her, "I know all about your plan, Doctor Parish, and I think it's a damn fine one." When Lanie's eyes widened, Roy explained, "Markaway is a good man, great judge, but personally, he's not so tight-lipped."

"D'Beckett and Castle know?"

"Not a bit. Beckett can have the time, the rest of her team, too. I'd have to force her to take the time soon anyway." Lanie smiled and started to turn away when Roy added, "And I want in. I'll testify. I'd do about anything at this point to knock some sense into that detective. Brightest cop I've ever seen I swear, but when it comes to her own life, she never puts the pieces together right."

"Don't I know it."

Roy grinned a fatherly grin. "Clean up that tension in my precinct and I might just end up owing you another favor."

* * *

_**A/N:** Leave your favorite Caskett moments in your reviews and I'll do my best to include them. Seriously, I want input here._


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**__Thanks for a good response to the first chapter. I've got ideas swirling for the next part, but I have a rather large project due to be finished soon so... Well, that, and I'd really like to hear your favorite Caskett moments up through season three. It'll help Lanie, Espo and me with the testimonies, and the next part will probably be up faster. *Wink Wink, Nudge Nudge*_

_Thanks to _TonyCastle78_ for the PM. _

_Enough of me though, here's what you really want:_

* * *

Friday

It was not supposed to be Kate Beckett's day off.

9:46 Friday morning.

She should've answered her phone three hours ago. Less than a half hour after that, she should've been working a new crime scene. Right now she should be in a staring match with and unfilled murder board while sipping lukewarm coffee and hounding her boys for more information on the vic.

Instead, Kate sat on her worn, comfortable couch un an equally worn tee-shirt and yoga pants watching whatever came on after the last infomercial and trying to ignore the call of her power heals, leather jackets and badge.

It was enough to put her in a foul mood.

Kate Beckett had the day off.

And she couldn't do a thing about it because her wonderfully caring captain had worried she was getting overworked and banned her from the precinct with threats to arrest her if she so much as walked past the building. The look in Montgomery's eyes as he offered her a place in lockup left her with no doubt that his threats were, in fact, promises.

So she went through her yoga routine until her muscles begged to collapse, sat in the shower until the sheen of perspiration abandoned her skin and hair, and hunted in the kitchen for anything resembling breakfast.

She found coffee.

It all led to her sulking in her living room, attempting to resist the lure of work, and being too stubborn to lose herself in rereading a Richard Castle novel. (And she definitely wouldn't fulfill her long lived fantasy of a private reading by the author…all cuddled in his arms…his familiar scent embracing her…and his smooth voice caressing the black on the page, words she had long ago memorized…)

_NO!_

Sharp knocks interrupted her silent reprimanding ten minutes after she began to lose herself in her daydream.

She called to her visitor as she adjusted herself to look semi-presentable and moved to open the door.

Swinging the metal barrier aside, she expected to find a writer.

She found a police captain, two detectives and two uniformed officers instead.

Confronted with her boss and subordinates, Beckett stifled the urge to chew her lip or mess with her overly casual outfit. "Hey, Guys…"

Esposito and Ryan nodded at the greeting but kept their gazes from meeting hers. Montgomery looked pained, as if something was tearing through his innards, and his obvious distress worried Beckett. The oldest man shook his head and murmured, "I hate this," then motioned the boys forward.

Ryan's eyes studied the floor as he pulled the gleaming metal cuffs from his belt.

Kate stepped away cautiously. "Roy? Cap, I didn't come in today." Her attempt at humor didn't alleviate the tension weighing on the room. Instead it lends itself to the heavy air, choking at rationality as Beckett continued her retreat. "Is this a joke?" she demanded, voice rising and edged with panic. "Boys, this isn't funny. Did Castle put you up to this?"

"Kate," Esposito fought the demon gripping at the oxygen as their boss inhaled, "turn around."

"Javi?"

"Turn around, Beckett."

She saw the paper folded in Montgomery's grip and finally complied. The cold metal snapped around her wrist, embellishing the monotonous reading of her Miranda rights, "Katherine Beckett, you are under arrest for obstruction of justice, blatant disregard for evidence, and abuse of power…"

* * *

She understood her rights. She read them daily.

She understood what the charges meant. She used them as incentives for reluctant witnesses to cooperate.

She understood arraignment and booking and lockup.

What Kate Beckett didn't understand was why she was suddenly on the wrong side of all of these things.

So she sat silently on the bench in her blessedly empty cell in holding as other officers scurried in the slim hall beyond the bars and didn't tell her a thing.

Not even what the charges referred to.

Obstructions…disregard for evidence…abuse…

The words were the complete opposite of her work ethic. Her murder board could attest for the critical examination and observation of facts as they occurred in her cases. All interrogations were recorded. When had she abused the power of the badge?

And if these unfounded charges found a way to stick and grant a conviction, any case she worked could be overturned based solely on the conjecture that she didn't serve to the letter of the law. Her badge could be ripped away. Her life…

But that was just panic. It was. It had to be. She wasn't guilty. And she still had the ability to present that fact before a judge and jury before she even had a remote chance of meeting the executioner.

That was what mattered. She'd get a lawyer, a good one, but ultimately refuse the one Castle had surely called as soon as he'd heard, and she'd build her defense. She'd investigate, _detect_, learn who had set her up, and she'd prove her innocence from these spurious allegations.

"Girl, _what_ are you doing in there?" _Looks as if the call got through._

"Clearly, I'm enduring sensitivity training," she deadpanned. Lanie shot her a look, not appreciating the sarcasm that met her concern.

"Is that right? 'Cause if it is, then I can just take my bail money and get on outta here."

"Lanie…" She didn't whine. Kate Beckett didn't whine. But her hand was cuffed to the bench and it was rather uncomfortable.

"Oh, so you do need me." The ME ushered the guard over to unlock the cell, then inspected her friend when she stepped past the threshold. "You look sober-"

"I am sober!"

"Damn, there goes my money. I was hoping you and Writer-boy got your party on."

Beckett merely scoffed. "Please, Lanie, I've got to go figure this out."

"Oh, nuh-uh, girl. You are in my custody until trial. You're coming home with me, and you aren't leaving."

"Lanie-"

"You could just stay with Writer-boy."

Sigh. "Let's go."

* * *

_**A/N: **__please review. I won't beg, but maybe I'll reward your time well spent? And don't forget to leave your favorite Caskett-y goodness in the review!_


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: _**_SORRY about the wait for this. I really do apologize. You guys have been great (a special thanks to __**LittleLizzieZentara **__here. Liz, you're awesome!) And to those reviewers who wanted it...well, you'll see._

_Anyway, I'll tell you that I have parts of the trial in drafts. the problem with getting this out was that I've been writing it out of order. Whoops!_

_This part might be important - this is the end of the first part of the story. Part two begins with testimonies. It should be two - three chapters long. then the end. Ideas for a sequel are floating around right now, some have ended up on my story board. More on that later._

_Now, enough of me..._

_Here's _Evidently_ chapter 3..._

* * *

Now familiar panic washed through his tall, broad form when the elevator dinged to a stop. The gentle jolt of the metal caged sliding into place seemed a stronger sensation, and the lack of coffee warming his palms only served to escalate the feeling of wrongness.

The doors slipped open onto the homicide floor, and though a bit dark, Rick Castle wished that today was a normal day with a less than average murder.

_Not to say that there were average murders_, his mind clarified, afraid of judgment from the woman who seemed capable of reading it. Murder wasn't an average, wasn't normal, definitely wasn't accepted, but still, Kate had a job. And so did he. Sort of.

Kate-

The boys had informed him following Kate's release, but weren't very forthcoming with details. In fact, they gave him none, just said that his partner had been arrested.

So he leapt from his comfortable, spine supporting office chair, dislodging the laptop on his thighs and barely preventing a thousand dollar crash to the floor, and stumbled into his clothing before nearly forgetting his keys. He threw the cabbie an extra fifty for rushing him to the precinct.

He nearly took the stairs at a sprint, but decided that speech would be important. Instead, he smashed his fingers against the elevator call button repeatedly until the machine allowed him in.

Nobody in the pen paid much attention to the frantic writer. His antics were a usual – and expected – occurrence after three years. They simply took steps to avoid him as he flew into the captain's office. The slam of the door didn't even matter.

Castle puffed a bit once inside Roy Montgomery's chambers. The man looked on expectantly, if not a little smug.

Having finally caught his breath, Castle demanded, "Roy, what's going on?"

"Afternoon, Rick. I gather you're here about your partner?"

Cops were prized by their ability to detach; the writer had learned that much in his shadowing of law enforcement. The more capable an officer was of ignoring personal feelings, the better off they were, but Roy's casual reference to the arrest of his best detective threw Castle.

"My partner was arrested, Roy, what's going on?"

Roy nodded at the other man, fully prepared for anything that happened. He knew the script. "Castle, Detective Beckett was taken into custody this morning on charges of obstruction and abuse."

"Yes, I know this part."

"Good, so I won't have to explain in such great detail how _you_ could be facing an aiding and abetting charge."

"What?" Aiding and abetting? He helped Kate; he usually helped Kate. _Where is this coming from?_

"Aiding and abetting, Castle. You assisted Beckett in her crime."

Castle was in defense mode now, "What are these charges in regards to? Do I need an attorney?"

"The attorney is up to you, though I think it will be easier without." Castle nodded slightly, and Roy took it as a sign to continue, "We're prepared to offer you a deal."

"_A deal?_"

"Yes. You testify for the prosecution in Beckett's case, and we let you go clean."

Outrage pure and simple. This man, this man that Kate Beckett looked to as a father figure, he wanted to turn her partner against her and strip her of her badge. "You want me to _testify_?"

Roy nodded.

"NO. Not a chance! You want me to betray _Beckett_? It's not gonna happen."

"We can compel your testimony if need be, but you'd still be stuck with the offense on your record."

"Roy-"

"Castle, this is for her own good. Beckett let herself be swayed."

Rick ran a hand up his jaw into his hair, mussing the already tousled fluff. "I can't do this."

Roy sighed. He'd just have to-

"Look, Castle, she's not exactly facing criminal charges…"

* * *

The team of uniforms had shown again for transport to her trial. They had been kind and had let her go without the chafing metal rings around her wrists. They still pushed her head down as she stepped into the cruiser.

The windows had been darkened to the point where Kate couldn't make out the sight of anything. The trip was longer than she remembered, but she knew LT and Velazquez, so she wrote it off on her mind attempting not to dwell on the upcoming proceedings.

She was led through a parking garage to an elevator, through a hall and into a courtroom through the side door by the bailiff, the door reserved for the defendant, the criminal.

Kate sat in the stiff wooden chair behind an equally dull table. No jury adorned the box, she had waved her right to a trial by jury, choosing to meet the fate decided solely by an officer of the court, but otherwise, the opposite side of the room was decorated the same way, though a lawyer was present there. Her own attorney had yet to arrive, causing a feather of worry to tickle at her gut. She merely bit her lip and stared ahead.

Lanie sat behind her, the ME's soft hand brushing her hair and shoulder's, the voice murmuring reassurances that everything would be okay, that everything would work out.

Kate Beckett had nothing to hide. Kate Beckett was a good cop. She had strong morals. She was honest and fair and….

"All rise," the room followed the directions of the bailiff, "Judge Markaway presiding."

A flutter of hope shoved that damn feather away at the announcement of the judge on the bench. Kate knew him to be a good, fair man who tolerated no disruptions and honored integrity.

"…people V Katherine Beckett. One charge Obstruction of _Sweet _justice, one charge of Blatant disregard for evidence, and one charge of abuse of power over a good man."

"A shame, Detective," his honor remarked, then shrugged. Markaway knocked his gavel against the wood plate thrice, and declared, "Court is now in session."

* * *

**_A/N:_**_you guys are great. please review._


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: **It's a bit shocking to me that this didn't take long. Hopefully the next part will come the same way. _

_The way I see it, there's about four chapters left in this story. It will probably be followed by a sequel with more of a conflict, but no promises. _

_As always, reviews are appreciated. _

* * *

_"__Court is now in session._"

She was flabbergasted, furious, another word that started with an f.

Kate Beckett had been played. She'd been had. She'd been screwed over and embarrassed and worried and she was _mad_.

The chair scraped against the laminate floor as she pushed it back. The loud noise only seemed to strengthen the fury radiating from the detective, and caused all others to shift their focus from the prosecutor offering his opening remarks to the pretty brunette with a face contorted in rage in a viciously beautiful fashion.

"Detective, have a seat," Markaway commanded. Kate refused. "I will charge you with contempt. Would you like to spend a night in the tombs?" The older man kept a straight face as he spoke. His voice never wavered, though his gavel swung through the air. Her eye's flicked to read his. Finding no hesitation in his threats, she sat again.

And she chewed the inside of her cheek, trying to ignore the little "tut-tut" noises her best friend was making.

Turning in her stubborn wooden chair, the only lawyer continued his long winded introduction, and she observed the crowd behind her. Her boys sat in the front of the prosecution's half of the room next to Captain Montgomery and a few detectives from robbery. Various uniforms that she somewhat recalled working with littered both sides of the room. Lanie, she knew, was behind her, and the Castle clan sat stiffly three rows behind and on the right. Their – his – eyes were trained on the wall, studiously ignoring her presence.

That bit. Her partner supported to forces ruining her reputation. Of course, this stupid mock trial would only serve to benefit him. Castle would be known as a _victim_ of her _abuse_. He'd garner sympathy; let the public goad her into a date with him where he spent the night not-so-subtly seducing his way into her pants.

It might've been unfair, she heard her conscience tell her, but sitting in that courtroom, listening to the attorney prepare to call his first witness, she didn't know another way to see the situation. That light only shone in one way.

But her bitter musings were soon interrupted by the suddenly booming voice of the people, "The people call Javier Esposito!"

* * *

"Detective," the prosecuting attorney began on Esposito's completion of the oath, "you work closely with Detective Beckett, correct?"

"Yes, that's correct." Kate noticed no hesitance on his part. There was no wariness like Javier usually had when confronted by lawyers. And _Damnit!_ He was in on it.

"And how would you describe your relationship with her?"

"She's my boss. I suppose you could say she's a friend. We've had each other's backs a couple a times."

"Mmm…" the man, a bit younger looking than Espo, folded his arms and ran a finger along his soft chin. "Is your relationship with Katherine Beckett the same as her relationship with Richard Castle?"

"No. I like Beckett and all, but not that way."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, dude, " Esposito reclined in his seat, effectively portraying himself as a guy on the street giving the latest dish on who did whom at that party last week, "they moon over each other, but I doubt either one of them notices."

"'Moon over each other'? How so?"

"Little touches, glances when they think the other ain't looking, but nobody bothers to see if anybody _else_ is looking. With all that eye sex, I'm not sure how our case closure went up. Probably 'cause of me and Ryan."

"Detective-"

"Right, sorry. Yeah, Beckett and Castle've got a thing for each other."

"What makes you say that?"

"Have you met them?" Prosecutor-man sighed and gave the other man a withering glance. "Okay. Uh… Our first case with Castle! Beckett brought in his entire collection of novels, told us to read up. They had these little stickers in 'em sayin' they were the property of Kate Beckett."

"So she had the full Castle library. What's the significance?"

"Later on, Castle gave her a signed first addition of his new book, even kissed her on the cheek. I never thought I'd see Beckett fan girl. She even smiled."

_Annnd, _that's where she drew the line. These details meant nothing in terms of her feelings, "Objection! How does my being a fan of Castle's books have any relation to this case?"

"Sustained," Markaway decided, "Make your point counselor."

"Yes, your honor." He turned back to the Hispanic man, "Mr. Castle left the precinct for the summer two years after joining the team, correct?"

"Yes."

_No! No no no no no! Please don't go there?_

"How was Detective Beckett's attitude during those months?"

Espo sighed, "Castle shacked up with his ex-wife, didn't call, didn't write. Becks would deny it, but she was upset. Barely drank coffee, and if she did, only the monkey piss and battery acid from the standard issue machine."

"And when Mr. Castle returned?"

"They made a bet. If Castle solved the case first, he got to come back."

"What happened?"

"Beckett solved it first."

"How was Castle allowed to stick around?"

"She threw the bet. She let him keep spinning theories till he finally got the right answer."

"How was the dynamic afterward?"

"Things went back to normal, but they seemed _tighter_. Even showed up with matching hickeys one day."

"Oh?"

"Said they were needle marks from a classified government agency injecting a sedative." Esposito caught Kate's eyes. "I'm pretty sure they were hickeys."

* * *

_Review please_


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N:_**_ For any one concerned about Kate; I know that this whole process seems overly cruel to KB, but this is fiction. REALLY fiction. This would never happen. not even in head canon. Not even in my head canon, which accepts most scenarios. Remember I don't own them, so this could just be some weird drug induced dream sequence if you want._

_I'm pretty sure after this there will be three more chapters. I'm thinking about a sequel involving a major A-plot conflict and Gates, but it depends on RL and how the rest of this is recieved._

_anywhoo... _

* * *

Esposito was excused from the stand fairly quickly after his testimony. Beckett's glare followed him through the swinging wood gate to his seat in the audience. Briefly and swiftly, he and Ryan exchanged a 'feed-the-birds' gesture before the attorney bellowed again.

"Kevin Ryan!"

The young Irish detective rose from his seat and shuffled toward the bench, his eyes drawn away from the defense. He smoothed his tie down as he sat, still avoiding his boss's gaze.

After witnessing the evidence presented in Esposito's testimony, Beckett stirred uncomfortably with worry. The previous statements had been harsh, enough to have her considering a torturous end for the Hispanic man. She quickly ignored her more violent instinct, and vowed to bust the detective to traffic duty for the next month or so.

But Kevin Ryan was a good man, so much like the little brother she never had. Hopefully, that relationship dynamic would protect her from anymore cruelty.

"Detective Ryan," the prosecutor addressed him, "you work alongside Detective Beckett, correct?"

"Yes, I've worked with Beckett for years."

"And in the time that you worked with Detective Beckett, has she ever had a partner?"

"No. We've always been a team of three; Beckett solo."

"What about Richard Castle?"

"He's not a cop."

"Is he her partner?"

Ryan shrugged. "I suppose you could say that."

The lawyer continued his pacing. "So Detective Beckett and Mr. Castle have a partner-like dynamic?"

"I'm not sure what you mean. They work well together."

"But is their relationship just work?"

"They're friends."

"Detective Ryan, you witnessed your partner testify that Detective Beckett and Mr. Castle have got a- a 'thing' for each other. Have you yourself witnessed any event to support such a claim?"

Ryan did glace to Beckett then, apology flooding his eyes. He had done his best to defend her, to avoid the questions, but he was under oath and in front of a judge. "Yes."

The attorney smiled gently, realizing the Irishman needed a softer touch. "What happened?"

"Beckett and Castle were working in a conference room when I walked in. They were close together, faces inches apart. I think Castle said something about cherries. They seemed really into each other. When I interrupted, they kinda jumped apart like they were guilty."

Kate remembered that, remembered the tension, the wanting, the urge to _just kiss him_, and the rational voice that knew she wouldn't, she _couldn't._

"Is this the only instance you know of where Becket and Castle seemed 'into each other'?"

"Well," Ryan tensed, "there was the proposal…"

"The proposal?"

The blond nodded. "I was working up to asking my girlfriend to marry me, and Castle's been through it twice, so I asked him for some pointers, y'know? And he started talking, and you can't ever get him to stop when he starts. Anyway, he said something about how you couldn't _just ask,_ so then hetook the ring and turned to Beckett."

"What did he do?"

He stunned her is what. He turned around and birthed a new fantasy in the middle of a freaking crime scene.

"He asked her to marry him. Not legitimately, of course," he rushed to explain. "But the tow of them kind of had this moment; Javi calls it eye-sex."

"Where was this?"

"A crime scene."

"So these moments," the prosecutor had stopped pacing during the proposal story and started again, walking in tight ellipses to the half-way mark of the room, "they don't always happen in appropriate locations?"

"It's hard to be appropriate when you're with Richard Castle." Ryan was back to dodging questions.

"Other instances have occurred then?"

"Not quite."

"How are the other moments not quite on level with a crime scene proposal?"

"It was understandable. I'd've done the same thing in her position."

"What happened?"

Sigh. "Castle and I were tied up in a motel room by the serial killer 3XK. Beckett got there and babied Castle a bit."

"Babied him how?"

"Nobody else seemed to exist." He looked hesitantly to Beckett, then back to the man in front of him. "But he's her partner."

"And you'd do the same for Detective Esposito?"

Ryan looked like a scolded child. "Maybe not so tenderly…"

* * *

Ryan had tried. He had. And Kate couldn't be that mad at him. She was still furious, but more so at Esposito than Ryan.

But the next name called out tore her heart.

_"__Roy Montgomery."_

Her Captain, her surrogate father, the man who had taken her under his wing and given her a career and a safe place to hide from her demons.

It was like a shot to the heart.

He was part of what was smearing her integrity and forcing emotions in her face. He was going to help her current adversary.

"Good morning, Captain."

"Morning."

"How ya been, Sir?"

"Fine, fine."

It was like a game, like she was watching two men chat over coffee.

"You've been Captain a long time."

"Yes I have."

"And Kate Beckett's been under your command for a long time."

"She has."

"And she never had a partner?"

"Beckett never gave up control enough."

"And now?"

Roy chuckled, "I believe Detective Esposito once described it as shark week."

"So why did you partner her with Richard Castle?"

"To teach her to give up control. They work so well together." Roy's eyes traveled to Castle's, then Kate's. "He's good for her…. That and she inspired his new series of novels."

"Have you read them?"

"I have. Though with all the time Castle spends with my team, I'm not sure where the real police work went. They read more like a love letter."

"Is that so?"

"Especially the dedication."

The younger man retreated to his table and grabbed a book from a pile on the chair next to his empty one. "This is a copy of _Heat Wave_, Captain. Would you read the dedication for the court?"

_NO._

"'To the extraordinary KB and all my friends at the 12th'"

"That's sweet, don't you think?"

"I think Beckett did."

"What girl wouldn't"

"Oh, Kate Beckett could certainly be the exception."

"You're Captain."

"We've established this," Roy remarked, stunned by the sudden change in the line of questioning.

"You oversee your officers."

"That is my job."

_Too many poker games with Castle,_ she thought, rolling her eyes at the current question and answer session.

"You know what goes on."

"Counselor," Markaway intervened, "get on with it. I'd like to make it to dinner on time tonight."

The prosecutor nodded. "Captain, do you know anything relating to Detective Beckett's feelings for Richard Castle?"

"Other than the office pool?"

"Yes, sir."

"There is one night in particular that sticks out in my memory."

"What is that, Sir?"

"I was in my office, preparing to leave for the night, and I heard Beckett ranting rather loudly. Things had been tense that week, Castle was being used by some actress he was seeing, and I believe Kate Beckett was jealous."

She wasn't jealous. She was just mildly upset that he was so focused on sexual gratification that he was allowing himself to be used by Ellie Monroe for a part in a movie.

"Really? Jealous?"

"Ah, yes."

"And what happened?"

"Rick enjoyed a lovely evening with his daughter."

_Damn._

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**_A/N: _**_reviews make best friends._


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: **__Sorry about the delay. I use fanfic to procrastinate, but everything needed to hurry up and be done now so..._

__There will probably be one-two more parts. I can't promise when they'll be posted because the next two weeks are gonna be pretty rough, but I'll get 'em done.__

__And thanks to **LittleLizzieZentara **___for always reviewing. Liz, you make me feel good about myself._

_anyway..._

* * *

He was next on the docket. He was next and he couldn't do it. He couldn't be the one who put the final nail in the coffin, the one who sufficiently humiliated Kate Beckett.

And Castle knew it wasn't just humiliation riding on his testimony, but the utter destruction of Detective Beckett.

She was the strongest person he knew. She had struggled her way through much more than most people did in a lifetime, and while the tragic life had built her strength, Rick Castle was one of the few people who realized that the strength people were put off by was in reality the slowly crumbling wall of a skyscraper, the rusting beam of the Brooklyn Bridge, the overflowing dam after a flood.

In short, Kate Beckett was about to break. _Hard._

It was obvious to anyone who spent day in and day out observing the subtleties of Beckett's mannerisms. The tension in her shoulders and the shifting of her jaw gave clues to her stress, and the way her spine stayed ramrod straight joined with her chin's elevation made it clear that she was trying to combat the weakness she saw in breaking.

He couldn't be the one to add that last bit of pressure, start the last storm, drip that last drop of water.

He could try to be the one to throw her a life preserver.

So when the prosecutor called his name, he stubbornly stayed put.

Until his mother and daughter grabbed him by the arms and forced him up. He stumbled slightly, then regained his confident stride, all while feverishly plotting how to answer the questions without giving information.

After promising to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, he sat.

He also became the first of the day to look directly into his partner's eyes-

-And nearly broke right there.

Her eyes were dark, the green painted with despair. Her lip was red and raw from being caught between her teeth. She looked barely there, somewhat reminiscent of the scared teen he knew she once was.

He offered her a small smile, one she absorbed, one that wiped away minuscule strokes of humiliation and misery. He'd fix it all.

"_Mr. Castle!"_

_Whoops._ By the man's tone it seemed that the prosecutor had asked his attention multiple times.

He smiled his attention at the frustrated man before him, wondering how much irritation Mr. Prosecutor could take before he snapped. Castle was determined to assuage his curiosity and find out.

"Mr. Castle, when did you meet Detective Beckett?"

"About three and a half years ago."

"And in that time, has she ever given any indication that she has more than platonic feelings for you?"

This was the turning point, Castle knew. He could tell of the twinges of jealousy he saw in her. He could regale the spectators with tales of the unresolved, intimate tension in the hotel room in LA. He could reminisce about the sudden appearance of magic flowers and the feigned ignorance during their shared night at the Angelica.

Or he could protect Kate's privacy.

"I'm not sure I can answer that question." He let his gaze travel to the right and caught Beckett's shocked glance his way. Surely she didn't think him so awful as to say something? Alas, he tried to convey reassurances through their locked vision, but he doubted she read him.

"How are you incapable of answering?"

"How am I to know what Katherine Beckett is thinking? She's impenetrable. She's stoic and smart, and I have no idea about her."

"You expect us to believe that you have shadowed Detective Beckett for three and a half years of research and you have no idea how to read her actions?"

Castle shrugged, "Why do you think I keep doing research?"

Mr. Prosecutor paced a bit more until his face caught a new light. "You want to know Kate Beckett?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

_How to say this delicately?_ "She's captivating." _Probably not delicate enough. _Beckett resumed worrying her lip. _Nope, not delicate enough._

"Captivating? That's a strong word. It has a heavy emotional connotation, Mr. Castle. So I ask, do you have more than platonic feelings for Detective Beckett?"

_Uhhhh…. _

"I plead the fifth."

"You can't plead the fifth?"

"Why can't I?"

"Well… Does the truthful answer to the question involve you implicating yourself in a crime."

"It may as well." At Mr. Prosecutor's confusion, Castle elaborated, "It will result in a cruel punishment."

"Mr. Castle…"

Markaway held up a hand then, silencing the counselor. The older man bent over then, speaking to the writer, "Admit it Rick. It's not a crime to have feelings." Markaway nodded to the attorney then, allowing him to continue.

Prosecutor nodded and hurried to ask, "Mr. Castle, do you love Kate Beckett?"

"I… Uh…" he hazarded a glance at the boys. Esposito and Ryan grinned smugly, knowing and appreciating the special torture coming to him. Next to them sat Lanie, smiling like the Cheshire cat. He didn't even want to see Kate.

But he did. He saw Kate. He _always_ saw Kate.

And what he saw simultaneously thrilled and terrified him.

She was the lost teenager, but now she seemed to have found a chance at redemption, salvation. She looked like everything in the world rode on his answer, everything she dreamed and was denied, everything she asked the stars for.

He'd happily give her the stars, moon and beyond. He'd do everything in his power, strive for everything outside of his power, just to make that scared-girl-turned-striking-woman smile.

But not like this.

He'd always imagined telling her as a slow seduction. He'd show her smoothly, over time, expressing his loyalty, his dependability.

And he'd sure as hell never pictured a forced confession among his peers and her colleagues in court.

Nope.

So he wasn't going to say anything.

Instead he stood and released himself from the box, heading toward the exit of the room-

-and was arrested and thrown in a cell for contempt of court.

* * *

_**A/N:** I love reviews. they remind me to write. Sorry I haven't been answering them, I read them, I'm just really busy._


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N: _**_This is it for Evidently. Final Chapter! It's actually also the only story I've finished to date. _

_Not sure how I feel about it, but enjoy._

* * *

They'd actually fashioned a holding cell on set. A real cell with four walls and bars and a metal door that locked. Really, he shouldn't be as captivated by that as he was, but Rick Castle was nothing if not distractible.

But as he pondered the reasons for the construction of a functional cell – obnoxious cast and crew? Kinky sex off screen? A fake trial with real consequences? – he finally gave himself time to revel in the ridiculousness of his own situation and let his mind slide into a sort of depression.

He was locked in a real fake cell on the set of a soap opera his mother worked on some number of decades ago because he wouldn't embarrass his partner, or himself, in front of their assorted family friends and co-workers.

And he had no idea when he was getting out.

…

Apparently not anytime soon.

* * *

"Hey."

The soft voice form behind pulled the lingering slumber from his brain. The greeting was familiar, but the tone of the voice was heart crushing.

He turned to face her, offering an equally somber, "Kate."

She forced the corners of her mouth up, hoping to avoid some of the concern she knew lurked in his eyes. She failed; however, as Castle's concern increased at the noticeable strain in the gesture before he could mask it for her.

"What…What happened?"

She looked away at the question, letting her eyes trace the lines in the brick over his left shoulder. After strenuous beats of silence, she answered, "They, uh, closed the case. The prosecution decided that the testimony heard was enough to get the intended result."

"What result?" Beckett shot him a glare before he answered himself, "Right. What happens now?"

She sighed lightly and kept her watery orbs from his deep blue gaze. "You're free to go once you pay a fine."

"What about you?" _What about her fire, her fight? Where was she?_

"I…" she shook a wave of feeling away, stubbornly preferring the numbness she held onto, "I find a way to come to grips with… with what they put me through. I don't… I have the rest of the week off."

And there went the last of his heart. The one true strength he saw in the world of darkness he had folded himself into those few years ago had just reached its threshold. She was lost, a tearful mess of confusion and betrayal, and he was watching her fall.

He'd catch her.

"Kate," he waited till she met his eyes, "Kate Beckett, you are the strongest person I have ever met. You stubbornly hold your own; you never give in, not even when it's for your own good. What makes this any different?"

She shifted her balance as she gnawed at her bottom lip. The poor thing was bleeding and abused after the last few hours. "They're the one who were supposed to have my back. I trusted them."

"Maybe," he couldn't believe he was about to defend them, "maybe they thought they were helping you in the long run?" She looked offended, so he continued to talk, hoping that in this one instance he would make it better instead of digging himself a deeper hole, "But, Kate, if you don't believe that, if you think they're wrong, then you fight like hell."

"What if they're right?" It was barely a whisper.

"Then… uh…" _Right about her feelings? Right about _what_?_

"What if… Castle, was he- were they right about you? About how you feel?"

"Kate…"

"Castle…"

This was so not how he wanted to tell her, "Yeah, Kate, I care about you. Probably- probably more than I should."

She nodded and pulled her lip in tighter. "What if I want that?"

Did his heart just stop? "I don't think anyone is capable of stopping you."

"I am."

"Why would you stop yourself from getting what you want?"

"I'm afraid."

She looked so vulnerable. He'd do anything to make that fear disappear. "What are you afraid of?"

"I…" it looked as if sharing was physically painful for her, but she forced the words out regardless, "What if it doesn't work? What if we crash and burn and lose what we already have? We're good partners, Castle, and friends, and I'm not sure I can live without that."

"You want assurances of a happily ever after, but, Kate, that's only in fairy tales. Those magical couples get to happily ever after, but nothing happens next. And I don't know the future. I don't know what will happen in the next few days or months or years, but, Kate; I can promise you that I will never intentionally hurt you. And I hope that's enough for you to risk it."

She nodded, blinking furiously to stay the tears. "What if they split our partnership?"

"Montgomery was out there. He spoke against- uh- he spoke for the prosecution. I have to say that makes me pretty confident that he won't make me leave. And if he does I'll just call the mayor or shadow Ryan."

Her lips turned up then, less strained than before, and she whispered an agreement. Beckett edged closer to him and placed her hand to cover his on the bars. "So, Castle, how 'bout we get you out and go grab lunch?"

Castle flicked a glance from her face to their hands and back. "I think that sounds fantastic."

She smiled finally, a genuine smile that whisked away the last remnants of tears.

Then she kissed him.

And he kissed back.

* * *

**_A/N:_**_ Sorry I'm not answering reviews. I read them all, but I seldom have time to respond._

_Feedback is love._

_There will probably be a sequel. Probably. But if there is it won't be up for a while as I'll write it all first before posting. So look for _Consequently.


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